Adjustable railway crossing



1952 L. ROSENBLATT ET AL 2, ,27

ADJUSTABLE RAILWAY CROSSING Filed March 14, 1950 2 Sl-lEETS-SHEET 1 FIG].

- INVENTORJ LOU/J POJf/VBLATZ y W/ZZ/AM A. M002 1952 L. ROSENBLATT ET AL 2,583,278

ADJUSTABLE RAILWAY CROSSING Filed March 14, 1950 2 SX-lEETS-SHEET 2 FIGZ.

I N V EN TOR-S ma/J Pflff/VBM 777 By mum/v A. M0025,

Patented Jan. 22, 1952 2,583,278

LouisRogenblatt, Wildwoud, and William A.

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n inYQQFQ? mates i s impm-Yfi "fife whee'Is a'fe ulipingn hammering of the .7 W V the w .11 op ing m hth"1sg erse ye; 02 1 iPn fi fpmv s .a n w myfi a 15 any 1 T W @rmn w h The false base II is strengthened by the attachment thereto of a square cover plate I4 which extends across the opening I5 and has a gasket I! installed between it and the bed plate In to make it watertight. The cover plate I4 is held in place by stud bolts I8 threaded into the bed plate ID and is easily removable.

Two crossed shuttle rack bars 20 and 30, respectively, which are flat, are reciprocable endwise in slots 2I and 3|, respectively, formed in the top of the bed plate I and extending diagonally through corners of the bed plate. The bar 20 is equipped with sets. of rack teeth 22 and 23 at opposite ends of and on the same side of the bar, which are meshed with pinions 24 and 25, respectively, which are in turn keyed on axially rotatable, vertical cylindrical frogs 26 and 21. The shuttle bar 30 has sets of rack teeth 32 and 35 at its opposite ends which are in mesh with pinions and 35 which are keyed to the frogs '36. and 31, respectively. The frogs 28, 21 and 36, 31 are notched at one side of their upper ends to conform to the contour of the wheel flange grooves I2 and I3 in the false base II, the notches defining ledges 28 and 38 which are one, level with the bottom surfaces of the grooves I2 and I3. The tops of the frogs are on a level with the upper surface of the false base II. Thus, in one position of the frogs the ledges align with the bottoms of the grooves I2 and I3 running in one direction across the crossing and allow the flanges of wheels I of a train to-pass unobstructedly through the grooves and the frog notches while, at the same time, the semi-circular heads 29 and 39 on the frogs 26, 21 and 36, 31, respectively, defined by the notches, close the grooves running in the other direction across the crossing, as shown in Figure 5.

The shuttle bars 20 and 30 are provided with main rack teeth I22 and I23 at their middles on the sides thereof opposite the first-mentioned sets of rack teeth 22, 23 and 32, 33. The rack teeth I22, I23 are meshed with the main operating pinion 40. The pinion 40 is journalled in the'bed plate III in a suitable recess therein and at a point offset slightly toward two adjacent sides of the bed plate, and is operated by hand through a single hand lever 4I projecting radially from the pinion 40 and extending out beyond the base plate II and the bed plate I0 of the assembly, so that it can be readily manually actuated. The hand lever M is secured in a tapering slot 42 in the bed plate I0 and is limited in its swing by the sides of the slot 42 which are set at an angle of about 20. The relative diameter of the operating pinion, which is substantially larger in diameter than the frog pinions, are such that swinging the hand lever 4| in either direction can turn the frogs 90 in either direction, All of the pinions are set in recesses formed in the top of the bed plate In to allow them to operate properly and without projecting above the top of the bed plate, where they might interfere with other moving parts of the mechanism. The shuttle bars 20 and 30, are, for similar reasons, arranged in their slots so as to place them at different levels, one above the other, below the top of the bed plate I 0.

The operation of the device set forth in the following description is predicated upon movement of a train from left to right across the crossing assembly, as indicated in Figure 1 by the arrow A. Similarly, the arrow B indicates movement of a train across the device at right angles to direction A.

In Figure 1, the crossing assembly being adapted to permit trains to pass in the direction of the arrow A, the wheels of a train moving across the assembly in the direction of the arrow B are obstructed by the heads 29, 39 of the frogs, with the result that the flanges of the train wheels would be raised out of the grooves I2 and I3 in striking these heads.

In Figure 2 the shuttle bars 20 and 30 have been moved toward the top of the drawings, the handle 4I having been swung in a counterclockwise direction. If trains movin in the direction of the arrow B have to be served, the hand lever M is swung in a clockwise direction until it strikes the upper side of the slot 42 and is stopped thereby. This rotates the pinion 40 clockwise and causes the shuttle bars 20 and 30 to move toward the opposite side of the assembly, thereby rotating the frogs through angles of 90 and opening the grooves in the device running in the direction of the arrow B and closing the grooves running in the direction of the arrow A. The frogs 26, 21 and 36, 31 are mounted on their cylindrical spindles 43 in the holes 44 with their centers oifset from the grooves I2 and I3 to enable the above described functions of the frogs to take place, as shown in Figure 1. The shuttle bars are retained in place in their respective slots by the cover plate I4. The sides of these slots guide the shuttle bars, which are made long enough to provide for any adjustment desirable in their positions. The use of the rack and pinion arrangement, while particularly effective for moving the bars and frogs, serves to prevent creeping thereof when in a shifted position, because such arrangements do not move out of position easily.

It will be noted that the mechanism structure is relatively simple, and that the shuttle bars may be conveniently and expeditiously placed in position. Also, if it is desired to remove the mechanism, it may be done without much trouble. This is done by takin off the cover I4 and lifting the bars 20, 30, with the pinions and frogs out of the recesses; no bolts or fastenings other than those for the cover being involved. If it is desired to use the crossing without the switching frogs, it can be done. The frogs are simply lifted out of their positions in the assembly by unkeying or unfastening them from their respective operating pinions. This leaves the rail grooves free of any impediment or the need to switch them from one set of tracks to the other, but the lack of continuity at the intersections will be a source of bumping, as in conventional crossings.

The assembly avoids the need of conventional rails in its make-up. Instead, it provides a very substantial false track crossing base in their place grooved or channeled for the same purpose. This makes a more rigid unit, and thereby prevents misalignments that can happen in the conventional types of crossings. The joining of the train tracks leadin to the extension spurs 46 of the unit can be arranged readily.

The groove or channel arrangement, with the frogs in place switched for train passage, avoids any open spots or lack of continuity to cause noise and bumps as the wheels roll over the intersections. This also eliminates the possibility of derailment at these points. The assembly is also adaptable to an automatic block system, as it only requires the coupling of the system to the hand lever 01 the device. The operation can be made practically noiseless, and the mechanism is concealed and protected. The installation of the whole assembly can be done easily and expeditiously and its structure lends itself to accurate leveling and other desirable operations involved in replacement, maintenance and adjustment.

While only one particular form of the invention is illustrated and explained herein, it is not desired to limit its construction to that form specifically, as it is appreciated that other forms could be developed and made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a railway crossing, a rectangular bed plate, a rectangular base plate mounted on said bed plate, said base plate being formed with pairs of laterally spaced wheel flange grooves intersecting at right angles with respect to each other with the grooves positioned parallel to adjacent sides of the bed plate, vertical cylindrical frogs mounted on said base plate in the region of the intersections of the wheel flange grooves for rotation on vertical axes, said frogs including laterally offset semi-cylindrical heads on their upper ends and pinions, two crossed shuttle bars mounted on said bed plate for endwise movement and extending diagonally between corners of said bed plate, said shuttle bars having rack portions at their opposite ends in mesh with related ones of the frog pinions and intermediate rack portions intermediate their ends, and a single lever operated pinion mounted on said bed plate in mesh with said intermediate rack portions of the shuttle bars.

2. In a railway crossing, a rectangular bed plate, a rectangular base plate mounted on said bed plate, said base plate being formed with pairs of laterally spaced wheel flange grooves intersecting at right angles with respect to each other with the grooves positioned parallel to adjacent sides of the bed plate, vertical cylindrical frogs mounted on said base plate in the region of the intersections of the wheel flange grooves for rotation on vertical axes, said frogs including laterally offset semi-cylindrical heads on their upper ends and pinions, two crossed shuttle bars mounted on said bed plate for endwise movement and extendin diagonally between corners of said bed plate, said shuttle bars having rack portions at their opposite ends in mesh with related ones of the frog pinions and intermediate rack portions intermediate their ends, and a single lever operated pinion mounted on said bed plate in mesh with said intermediate rack portions of the shuttle bars, said shuttle bars crossing each other at right angles with said single pinion offset from the center of said bed plate toward two adjacent sides of said bed plate.

3. In a railway crossing, a rectangular bed plate, a rectangular base plate mounted on said bed plate, said base plate being formed with pairs of laterally spaced wheel flange grooves intersecting at right angles with respect to each other with the grooves positioned parallel to adjacent sides of the bed plate, vertical cylindrical frogs mounted on said base plate in the region of the intersections of the wheel flange grooves for rotation on vertical axes, said frogs including laterally offset semi-cylindrical heads on their upper ends and pinions, two crossed shuttle bars mounted on said bed plate for endwise movement and extending diagonally between corners of said bed plate, said shuttle bars having rack portions at their opposite ends in mesh with re lated ones of the frog pinions and intermediate rack portions intermediate their ends, and a single lever operated pinion mounted on said bed plate in mesh with said intermediate rack portions of the shuttle bars, said semi-cylindrical frog heads being eccentric with respect to the vertical axes of the frogs and positioned in the intersections of the grooves whereby said heads close one pair of wheel flange grooves running in one direction across the base plate while openin the other pair of grooves running in the other direction across the base plate in accordance with the position of said hand lever operated pinion.

LOUIS ROSENBLATT. WILLIAM A. MOORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 124,210 Hunter Mar. 5, 1872 275,028 Evans Apr. 3, 1883 999,400 Roach Aug. 1, 1911 1,521,513 Edlund Dec. 30, 1924 1,522,915 Settle Jan. 13, 1925 1,729,098 Fairbanks Sept. 24, 1929 

